Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

In that case let me couch it in the language of the national maternity strategy. If we are to have a fully operational national maternity strategy, there is a governance issue, to which the delegates have referred. It is evident by any objective analysis of the operation of Cork University Maternity Hospital under the umbrella of Cork University Hospital has been to the detriment of health services for women. There is a very clear, linear connection. I am trying to ascertain something on the governance issue that has been referred to and relate it to the south/south west hospital group. We are being told that the HSE's national women and infants health programme and maternity networks will be established across hospital groups, if it has not already been done. My question is whether, if Cork University Maternity Hospital is part of the south/south west hospital group, it is being represented adequately within the group such that there are transfers of funding and resources from the parent hospital in a manner which ensures services are delivered for women.